Understanding God – A reflection on verses from Deuteronomy. Examining how Moses taught the people that the essence of the law is to have a Loving relationship with God.

1. Understanding God – A reflection on verses from
Deuteronomy
31st Jan
Reading: Deuteronomy
7

5. Laying the foundation about God through the teachings of Moses

6.  Moses paints a picture
of the Great God of the
the Universe as a
Father
 God wants to be a
Father
 Unfortunately,
 For many Christians
the God in
Deuteronomy is one of
Anger and judgment
only
 God was with his
children on the difficult
journeys of their life as
a Father“Because the LORD hated us, he has brought us forth out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of
the Amorite” Deu 1:27 [A mis-understood God]

7. God seeks a loving relationship
 This is the CORE message of the Law
[
Imagine if a person walks up to you
and demanded to
 Love him
 I.e. Not just to like him,
What would your reaction be?
 This is to love our neighbors as ourselves
]

8.  Love gives us the ability to:
 Remember his rules
 Deu 6:6 And these words that I command you
today shall be on your heart.
 Follow his rules
 Deu 6:2 that you may fear the LORD your
God, you and your son and your son's son, by
keeping all his statutes and his
commandments, which I command you, all the
days of your life, and that your days may be
long.
 The Law has victory in Love

10. How?

12. Only Love can conquer!
To follow Gods ways
 Fear
 Walk
 Serve
 Observe
Love is the Key
ingredient
What one loves that he
Does

13. It was God who first loved Israel and called them out
to be his people

16. In the end,
Mercy
triumphs
over
judgment

17. God uses judgment when
all other methods are
exhausted
But,
He waits with
outstretched arms for
those who are wiling to
return

20. Moses prayed
God listened, God
changed his course of
action for Moses’ sake

21. Your God is
mindful of the
weak and
LOVES the
strangers
Therefore
 Deu 10:19 Ye
shall love,
therefore, the
stranger, for ye
were strangers in
the land of Egypt.

22. How can a God of Love possibly Judge?

23. God is Just so his children should
also be Just
Deu 1:16 And I charged your
judges at that time, saying,
Hear the causes between your
brethren and judge righteously
between every man and his
brother and the stranger that is
with him.
Judges were not meant to
violate justice in the name of
Love

26.  Deu 21:21 Then
all the men of
the city shall
stone him to
death with
stones. So you
shall purge the
evil from your
midst, and all
Israel shall hear,
and fear
 When you cross
the limit then
God executes
judgment
 God does not
show partiality

27. Joh 15:11 These things
I have spoken to you,
that my joy may be in
you, and that your joy
may be full.
Joh 15:12 "This is my
commandment, that
you love one another as
I have loved you.